U15 Vietnam beat U15 Cuba 2-1 to set up Semi-final clash with hosts Azerbaijan

Facing an opponent from the Americas, Vietnam U15 made a confident start, pushed forward proactively and created several dangerous attacking opportunities. Notably, Anh Hao struck the post with an effort in the first half.

Vietnam U15 maintained the pressure after the break. In the 28th minute, Xuan Vinh capitalised on an opponent’s mistake and fired home with his left foot to open the scoring. In the 39th minute, following a corner delivered by Xuan Vinh, Khac Hieu followed up to make it 2-0. Cuba U15 pulled one back in the 40th minute when a shot from their number 10 took a deflection off Tai Loc and changed direction. The score remained 2-1 until the final whistle.

In the semi-finals of the placement competition for positions 81–84, Vietnam U15 will face hosts Azerbaijan U15, who have just recorded a 5-0 victory over Mozambique U15. A win would see Vietnam U15 advance to the final to compete for the highest possible position in this bracket.

Following a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Rwanda U15, despite having led by two goals, the young Vietnamese players quickly bounced back with a victory over Nicaragua U15 before overcoming Cuba U15.

More importantly, the consecutive matches at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026 have provided Vietnam U15 with valuable opportunities to gain international experience, build resilience and further develop their playing style against teams from different footballing backgrounds.